


Derailed

by PaisleyWraith



Series: Dawn AU [4]
Category: South Park
Genre: F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-04
Updated: 2018-05-04
Packaged: 2019-05-01 22:43:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14530899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaisleyWraith/pseuds/PaisleyWraith





	Derailed

She watched as the water rushed through the grates in the wall, running into channels and divots build into the ground itself, repaired new and ready to direct water for the first time in generations. 

Townspeople gathered in the last evening light to watched the spring water wash into the Keep, sloshing through the channels and splashing lightly onto the pathways and showering the boots of people who stood too close. 

Cheers, people watched as the water diverted, through upper-class houses or into the wells, through town in side channels. More than one mother had to drag their child out of splashing in the ditches, people older kids racing the water down the village. 

The Queen of the land, Lady McCormick, overlooked the event, arms crossed and smiling. Hair braided back, skirts flowing, she walked back through the front doors of the Keep to swish past the guards marveling at the newfound flow. 

The centerpiece of the castle was designed for this, bright mosaics depicting the world in vibrant hues, the very center of the floor a clear glass (crystal, the Kyle-like voice in her mind corrected her,) showing the flow of water through the Keep, the center of human life in Zaron. 

Kenny smiled at the guards as she passed, though one stopped her briefly. 

“The Lord McCormick was spotted approaching,” He let her know, “He should reach the gates within a half hour.” 

She exhaled, finding it easier to breathe. “Thank you,” The Queen replied, a crooked grin spreading over her face. “Send him to me when he arrives, please.” 

The man nodded and she left the hubbub behind, slipping off to the peace of her renovated home. 

So much of her time had been spent rebuilding. The village, the castle, so much had to be redone. Trade routes were open again, artisans flooded the gates to reside in the one place open to talk and trade with every human and Elf settlement around. The Keep was slowly recovering. 

And yet, if the lords hadn’t risen up to validate Kenny, there would have been more opposition. As it was, Cartman’s old friends were suspicious. One person shows up with a legitimate claim to the throne, sure, but that person securing the friendship of the Elves after generations of hate was not something they accepted at face value. 

The Keep itself, of course, was fine with the whole thing. Money and food were now more readily available, old families were reinstated to their previous levels, Elven healers flooded into the city to help the masses Cartman had ignored. Life was finally becoming livable. 

Kenny cut through the garden to check on the flowers she’d transplanted last week. They took well to the soil, despite having a preference for seaside air. Butters and Clyde had dropped the plants off as they passed through, with tales and descriptions of places she’d never seen. 

She’d eventually go see them. Once everything calmed down, once she found a second in command. See the ocean, the deserts. Kyle had traveled only once after his parents died, to find a place for Ike. 

Now Ike was at the Caverns and Kyle had been off for a month camping outside Dunedhelbair with some of Clyde and Craig’s old buddies and visiting the Caverns. 

Kenny was left behind. Kyle waited almost a year before he was comfortable with that. And even then, he left a couple of his personal guards to roam around as undercover healers. Just in case. All was well, except for the surprising amount of unending loneliness that came from not having stupid Elf around 24/7. 

Kenny took a walk around the centerpiece, the garden filled with flowers of all colors, all regions, in the stone fountain flowing with light, like the one in the Cavern infirmary. A tribute. Something beautiful. 

Something for her. 

Karen’s memory still stung. Still sucker-punched her in the gut every time she thought about it. Still made her lay awake at night and hate. Made a spike of jealousy raise every time she saw a family, saw the children and teenagers that survived. 

Kenny brushed her fingers over the blue-purple petals, giving the garden one more look before leaving them behind. 

It was like being haunted. Living with a ghost, day after day, only she didn’t get the privilege of seeing her. Just the absence, a poisoned memory. 

She slipped into her room, shedding her outer garment and shoes before flopping down on the bed. She had a letter from the desert lands to read but she wasn’t in the mood for politics. Wasn’t in the mood for anything but feeling. 

Feeling. Hate. Rage. No wonder the Staff had reacted as it did, if a year later she still wanted to kill everyone responsible. 

This was never going to leave. She was never going to be able to move past the pain, never be able to think about Karen without rage and grief. Months of learning what went into a monarchy and mending other people’s hurts couldn’t lessen anything for her. 

Someone opened the door, and Kenny sat up immediately. 

Kyle’s hair was windblown, skin more freckled from days in the sun, wearing a red cloak mocking his original robes down to his ankles, open over deep green. His eyes shone and he stood straight-backed and rather condescending as usual. 

He barely had the door closed before Kenny slammed him against it, lips on his before he could even get a word in. He smelled like the outdoors, warm and flowery, bringing nature into the stone castle with him. 

Kyle kissed hungrily, one hand buried in her hair, and honestly she would be fine not talking for a good while afterwards. She slid her hands up his chest to unhook his cloak, but before she reached the clasp she felt him jerk involuntarily with a hiss. 

Kenny broke the kiss, Kyle already sighing. 

“I wasn’t attacked,” He said tiredly, “And it’s not bad. Mostly bruising at this point.” 

“What happened?” She irritably unclipped his cloak more carefully, but Kyle batted her hands away. 

“Don’t laugh,” He said, face reddening, “Ike wanted to spar.” 

Kenny took a moment. And then lost it entirely. 

Kyle was furious, dark red and lips pressed together tightly. Kenny cupped his face, trying to stop laughing as the fear subsided entirely. He was fine, the dick. 

“Did your little brother beat you up?” Kenny asked, tears welling in her eyes. Jesus Christ that was hilarious. “I told you he was a better fencer than you.” 

“It was broadswords,” Kyle growled, picking up his cloak indignantly and stalking off to the wardrobe. “I’m not as proficient with broadswords.” 

“And he kicked your ass, didn’t he?” Kenny leaned against the door, watching the pretty boy angrily hang up his cloak with care. 

“You know what?” Kyle said, whirling around, hands on his hips. “Next time, I’m having him fight you. You can take on the damned hellion.” 

“I would be honored,” Kenny smirked at the irritated ex-king. “But I don’t think it’s in my best interests to beat up the Crown Prince of the Drow Elves.” 

“Oh fuck you,” Kyle said disgustedly. 

“The fact I’m fucking the old one makes no difference,” Kenny said in all seriousness, eyes glittering. 

Kyle sputtered. “On second thought, I’m suddenly very certain I left some things unfinished,” he threw a metal hangar at Kenny that she set up a shield for. “Asshole.” 

It bounced off the smoky purple edge, leaving Kyle glaring at his wife across the room. 

Kenny was smirking. You’d think he’d be used to her by now, but Kyle was still deliciously easy to fluster and rile, and it was one of his best qualities in her opinion. That and the fact he didn’t take things too personally. He was waiting for her to reply, giving her a chance to fire back. 

Kenny took a long breath, taking him in. Red-faced and embarrassed and so full of fire and life. 

She lowered the shield effortlessly, smirk turning into something softer. Beautiful Elf boy. God, she missed him. 

“At least you came back mostly without incident,” Kenny finally said, regarding him with a teasing smile. 

Kyle exhaled through his nose, looking like he was deciding whether or not to let everything go. He finally did. 

“Mostly,” He grumbled, fidgeting with the cloak he’d hung up. Something was wrong. 

Another lovely thing about Kyle was he liked to talk. Typically if he started a thought, he finished it. You just had to wait for a moment. The Queen waited patiently. 

“Lord Black knows who I am,” Kyle said finally, coolly. 

One of Clyde’s friends. Token Black, one of the families who was reinstated as members of the court. The next minute what he was saying truly registered. 

“That’s impossible,” Kenny dismissed that, alarmed. 

They had been so careful. While they did not openly state who Kyle was, it was carefully implied he was the ex-counselor to the Elven King. Considering no one had previously known anything about the leader of the Drow Elves, Kenny thought that would be safe. Keep Kyle known as her husband, her advisor. Just until things were truly no longer hostile. 

They hadn’t even declared who Ike was. There were even people who thought _Stan_ was the leader of the Drow Elves, which the guy was sort of delighted with and told them to not dissuade, no matter how Kyle grumbled over it. 

At no point, nowhere, did anyone even imply that Kyle was the ex-King. 

“When we were at Dunedhelbair,” Kyle slowly said, arms crossed as he watched the stone floor, “He addressed it as mine.” 

Kenny shook her head. “He knows the history, just because you lived there you could be anyone. Not just the king. 

“He referred to it, specifically, as my family’s home,” Kyle disagreed solemnly. “He knows, Kenny. I knew you’d hate the news.” 

“No one ever said anything,” Kenny stubbornly protested. “We were careful.”

“I don’t know how he found out, but he spoke respectfully and specifically, it was the way he addressed me,” Kyle recalled, brows furrowed. “Either someone told him or he figured it out.” 

Kenny pressed her lips together in frustration. Kyle stood tall, watching her seriously. 

“I told you I would be okay with them knowing,” he reminded her gently. “I knew they were going to eventually. Let’s just see where this leads us.” 

Kenny still didn’t like the idea. If there was going to be backlash, Kyle shouldn’t have to deal with it. Kyle gave up a lot to be with her, live with her, help her every step of the first year. She set her jaw. She wouldn’t let it blow up any further than this. This was one thing Kyle wasn’t going to have to face, regardless of if he was actually okay with it or not. 

Kyle touched her arm, jolting her out her thoughts. Things were dark, shadows licking at the hem of her dress. She stared at the Elf, who leaned in without fear. 

He kissed her, hands at her jaw, tanalizingly slow and deliberate. She let him drag her into it, darkness becoming more pointed, direct, and then fading entirely. 

“Stop worrying,” Kyle grumbled, smoothing his thumbs over her cheeks. “I can take care of myself. Don’t worry over something stupid.” 

“I’m not,” Kenny protested untruthfully. 

“You are and you’d never say anything about it,” Kyle irritably replied, “Stop.” 

Kenny rolled her eyes, but didn’t take her face out of his hands or offer any further verbal denial. Kyle was watching her in his analytical way, ready to start a long-winded speech the moment he thought it warranted it. 

“Tell me about your castle,” Kenny said instead, lightheartedly pushing Kyle away. Flirtatiously, not rudely. Kyle still didn’t look happy. “Are you going through with it?” 

Kyle nodded, leaning against the wall with closed eyes. “We’re going to rebuild Dunedhelbair.” 

Kenny waited. And waited. And kicked him in the ankle. 

“I’m fine with it, I think,” Kyle said, opening his eyes to focus on the floor. “It’s...surreal. It was surreal to be back. To look at it and realize it might live again. I never considered that before.” 

“When will you start?” Kenny asked, watching Kyle run a hand through his hair. 

“We need to befriend a few more places, I want to be sure we have the resources,” Kyle looked tired. “It’s going to be odd having another family running it.” 

This Kenny hadn’t realized. “You’re going to have Token run it.” 

“Ideally I would want to move Wendy and perhaps Stan there once Ike takes over,” Kyle said quietly, “But Stan will never go back. He told me that earlier this week.” 

Kenny made a soft noise, listening. 

“It’ll go to humans. I just...” Kyle lifted a hand and dropped it. 

Kenny watched him, thinking. “You don’t dislike humans.” It almost came as a question. He...didn’t, he never really mentioned that. He distrusted strangers of course, but she couldn’t...couldn’t really get onto him for that. 

“No.” Kyle was quiet. “But I dislike seeing anyone near my parent’s resting place.” 

Goddamn it this was not how she wanted this reunion to go. She licked her lips, trying to think. 

Maybe they both still had their scars. 

She stepped into his space, circling his waist with her arms. Kenny pressed her face against his shoulder, breathing him in. He’d never fully move on from Dunedhelbair. She’d never fully move on from losing Karen. 

He pulled her close, head dropping to rest against hers. 

Alright. She took a quick breath, pressing a kiss to his neck. 

“We have running water now,” Kenny murmured against his skin. “So now you can stop fussing over bathing every few seconds.” 

“Wanting a bath every day doesn’t make me fussy,” Kyle complained, though his body relaxed. 

“Mmn,” She made a noise of disagreement. “But it means we can bathe without dragging water out here. Convenient.”

“That will be nice,” Kyle murmured quietly, hand soothingly rubbing against her spine. 

Kenny bluntly led him to what she wanted. “You’ll want to take one after the trip.” 

“In a minute,” Kyle ignorantly nuzzled against her hair, missing the point as usual. Goddamn, unless you got the boy in a mood he missed all the signals. 

“Kyle... take a bath with me,” Kenny gave up, feeling a grin twitch on her lips. 

“Oh,” Kyle sounded embarrassed with himself. He recovered quickly, clearing his throat. “Ah. Alright.” 

Eh, she’d get that joy from earlier back. This was a relief, having him back home. They could discuss the details tomorrow. 

Kyle was trying to recover from feeling stupid, lighting their bedroom as normal with unusual ferocity. Kenny snorted at him, quietly. Loser. 

“I missed you,” Kyle admitted quietly, watching the white lights glow in their place. Kenny’s heart squeezed. “A month was too long, Ken.” 

There we go. Kenny hugged him from behind, crashing into him hard enough to warrant an ‘oof’ from the slightly-dramatic Elf. 

What can you even say to that? ‘Yep’? ‘You too’? Nothing would really describe the overwhelming, heart crushing emptiness his absence gave her. She crushed him in a hug, hoping he understood. 

The Elf King. Her Elven advisor, once thought to be her mortal enemy, turned husband and right hand. What she’d give to see her younger self, watch them gape at their jewel-encrusted necklaces and golden crowns, flowing skirts and embossed leather armor. A Queen, holding dominion over the land they walked on. To show them the face of the person they believed they despised: the heart of someone courageous and passionate and loving, breathtaking in beauty and strong character. To tell them they’d end up loving him, and that he’d love them in return. Whatever they chose to be, to do. Unconditional, understanding love. 

What she’d give to tell Karen. Let her see who her brother in law would be. Her eldest brother, that is. She’d have Ike, too. 

“Kenny?” Kyle asked, and the girl laughed lightly. 

“Nothing,” she said, not sure what she must have been doing for Kyle to wear that look of worry. “I just... I missed you too. I love you, Kyle.” 

That at least was the right thing to say. Kyle kissed her cheek, the corner of her mouth, her jaw. 

“I’m back,” he murmured. “Everything is fine.” 

The letter went unread on her desk.


End file.
